So grateful

Dear editor:
I bring the news we all have been patiently waiting for! Our Canadian contributions, along with the other collecting countries, saw that the 100-millionth shoebox was collected in 2012!
With great appreciation, applause goes out to the many people in Rainy River District who had the heart to enthusiastically help to fill 458 shoeboxes to help touch the lives of those children in Uruguay, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, and Haiti.
We know that when our boxes reach their destination, children will be overjoyed to receive the toys, hygiene products, clothes, and school items that have been lovingly packed into our boxes!
Thanks to those who filled boxes, attended and supported various shoebox packing parties, and groups such as area school classrooms, youth groups, and churches.
I appreciated very much the several who packaged our many boxes at the “Collection Week Shoe Box Packing Party” (especially those four energetic teens who bounded up and down the stairs to retrieve boxes from their storage: Chris Lowe, Aric Chapman, and Billy and Bobby Halverson).
I heartily thank the many partners from our area collection centres, including Calvary Baptist and Tompkins Hardware in Emo (who again provided generous transportation and manpower to get our boxes to our Kitchener collection centre via their delivery truck), Lowery’s Northland Basics and The Bargain Store in Fort Frances, Trinity Lutheran in Bergland, and Quetico North in the Atikokan area.
It is assured that a huge thank you to B93, the Fort Frances Times, and the West End Weekly is noted. This program could not be successful without your help in getting out the word!
“Operation Christmas Child” is a project of Samaritan’s Purse which, through your support, takes gift-filled shoeboxes to hurting children around the world. Ten countries pack and send OCC boxes to more than 130 receiving countries.
Shoeboxes from Canada go to children in Central and South America, West Africa, and the Caribbean. It touches their hearts—our gifts shows these hurting communities that people around the world care about them!
Each child in selected communities receives a shoebox as an unconditional free gift regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity. Shoebox gifts can provide so much more than that; each child is offered a copy of a colorful booklet that tells them about the love Jesus has for them.
Our shoeboxes may open the door for a community to hear about God’s love through his Son, Jesus Christ. And this year, 662,312 Gospel opportunities are being sent around the world!
The numbers are in: 29,556 from Saskatchewan, 38,215 from Manitoba, and 4,443 from Northern Ontario.
So ends the 2012 OCC season. We can rest in assurance that our efforts have made a difference in the lives of children, and for the Gospel and throughout the world! And yes, praise the Lord!
Sadly, I report that this was my third and last year as the area co-ordinator. I am sending this letter from my new home in Cold Lake, Alta., where my husband and I have found new employment.
But I look forward to hearing who will step up as the OCC Rainy River District area co-ordinator and how well our area does in 2013!
(Signed),
Della McQuaker
Cold Lake, Alta.